Read Online Excelsior by Jasper T. Scott - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jasper T. Scott
Tags: Science-Fiction, Military, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Genetic engineering, Teen & Young Adult, Hard Science Fiction, Exploration, Space Exploration, Space Fleet, Colonization
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dropped. Lewis Station was about to be obliterated because the upper echelons had decided that Earth needed more missiles.
“I hope it was worth it.”
“So do I. Good luck, Captain.”
The transmission ended.
“Comms! Send Admiral Gaulle the target data for the missiles tracking us.”
“Already sent, sir.”
“Good. Lieutenant Stone, get our fighters and drones to focus on the same targets.”
“Roger that, Captain.”
Alexander watched the incoming missiles on the tactical map. They were just five minutes away. Lewis Station and the Lincoln poured steady streams of projectiles at them, intercepting a couple of missiles with every passing second.
Time dragged by at the speed of sloth. Minutes felt like hours. The number of incoming ordnance dropped below 3000. ETA hit thirty seconds.
Alexander sat up straighter in his chair. “Start firing lasers!”
“We still have fifteen seconds to ELR,” Lieutenant Cardinal objected.
“Concentrate your fire! We’ll kill a few.”
“Yes, sir.”
There were still over 800 warheads aimed at the Lincoln.
Bright blue lasers lanced out in streams of twos and threes. Sure enough, a few extra missiles winked off the grid. Then enemy ordnance reached ELR, and both Lewis Station and the Lincoln began shooting them down in earnest. Incoming missiles winked off the grid by the hundreds. Alexander breathed a sigh of relief. Then he noticed that the number of missiles heading for the Lincoln wasn’t dropping as fast as the overall count.
That was wrong. A closer look at the tactical map revealed that Lewis Station had devoted only a small fraction of its guns to covering the Lincoln. Admiral Gaulle was still determined to save his station.
Alexander cursed under his breath.
The enemy’s laser-armed ordnance opened fire next. Something shuddered and a muffled bang reached Alexander’s ears. He froze. That sound hadn’t been simulated.
“Taking fire!” McAdams reported. “We’re venting atmosphere on decks four, five, and six!”
The ship’s storage. They were venting valuable supplies into space.
“Lock it down!” Alexander roared.
“Deploying repair drones…”
The number of incoming ordnance dropped below 400. ETA five seconds.
“Brace for impact!” Hayes warned.
“Helm! Set thrust to 50 Gs!”
There was no time to hesitate, and Davorian didn’t.
Alexander felt himself slam into a brick wall. That wall was the back of his acceleration couch. Conscious thought ceased. His chest stopped moving, and his heart froze.
After an indeterminate period of time, the acceleration stopped. It took a moment for Alexander’s lungs to remember how to breathe. As his heart went back to beating, a searing headache stabbed him behind his eyes.
A quick look at the tactical map revealed that all of the incoming missiles had been intercepted. That last-ditch evasive maneuver had bought them the time they needed.
The station had not been so lucky.
“Multiple impacts on Lewis Station!” Lieutenant Williams reported.
“On-screen!”
The MHD switched to a view from the Lincoln’s rear cameras, and they saw Lewis Station drifting in three pieces. The bones of the station’s superstructure were showing, hull plates clinging here and there, charred black and looking like torn bits of paper.
Then the rest of the missiles hit those remains and blotted out the tactical map with a wash of EM interference. When things came back into focus, Lewis Station was gone.
Alexander sighed. “Davorian, get us through the Looking Glass.”
“Yes, sir.”
Commander Korbin turned to him, her blue eyes wide and glassy. “What about Earth?”
Alexander shook his head. “Our orders are clear, Commander. We are to get to Wonderland and assess the planet for habitability.”
“You have a wife on Earth, Captain. I have
“I hope it was worth it.”
“So do I. Good luck, Captain.”
The transmission ended.
“Comms! Send Admiral Gaulle the target data for the missiles tracking us.”
“Already sent, sir.”
“Good. Lieutenant Stone, get our fighters and drones to focus on the same targets.”
“Roger that, Captain.”
Alexander watched the incoming missiles on the tactical map. They were just five minutes away. Lewis Station and the Lincoln poured steady streams of projectiles at them, intercepting a couple of missiles with every passing second.
Time dragged by at the speed of sloth. Minutes felt like hours. The number of incoming ordnance dropped below 3000. ETA hit thirty seconds.
Alexander sat up straighter in his chair. “Start firing lasers!”
“We still have fifteen seconds to ELR,” Lieutenant Cardinal objected.
“Concentrate your fire! We’ll kill a few.”
“Yes, sir.”
There were still over 800 warheads aimed at the Lincoln.
Bright blue lasers lanced out in streams of twos and threes. Sure enough, a few extra missiles winked off the grid. Then enemy ordnance reached ELR, and both Lewis Station and the Lincoln began shooting them down in earnest. Incoming missiles winked off the grid by the hundreds. Alexander breathed a sigh of relief. Then he noticed that the number of missiles heading for the Lincoln wasn’t dropping as fast as the overall count.
That was wrong. A closer look at the tactical map revealed that Lewis Station had devoted only a small fraction of its guns to covering the Lincoln. Admiral Gaulle was still determined to save his station.
Alexander cursed under his breath.
The enemy’s laser-armed ordnance opened fire next. Something shuddered and a muffled bang reached Alexander’s ears. He froze. That sound hadn’t been simulated.
“Taking fire!” McAdams reported. “We’re venting atmosphere on decks four, five, and six!”
The ship’s storage. They were venting valuable supplies into space.
“Lock it down!” Alexander roared.
“Deploying repair drones…”
The number of incoming ordnance dropped below 400. ETA five seconds.
“Brace for impact!” Hayes warned.
“Helm! Set thrust to 50 Gs!”
There was no time to hesitate, and Davorian didn’t.
Alexander felt himself slam into a brick wall. That wall was the back of his acceleration couch. Conscious thought ceased. His chest stopped moving, and his heart froze.
After an indeterminate period of time, the acceleration stopped. It took a moment for Alexander’s lungs to remember how to breathe. As his heart went back to beating, a searing headache stabbed him behind his eyes.
A quick look at the tactical map revealed that all of the incoming missiles had been intercepted. That last-ditch evasive maneuver had bought them the time they needed.
The station had not been so lucky.
“Multiple impacts on Lewis Station!” Lieutenant Williams reported.
“On-screen!”
The MHD switched to a view from the Lincoln’s rear cameras, and they saw Lewis Station drifting in three pieces. The bones of the station’s superstructure were showing, hull plates clinging here and there, charred black and looking like torn bits of paper.
Then the rest of the missiles hit those remains and blotted out the tactical map with a wash of EM interference. When things came back into focus, Lewis Station was gone.
Alexander sighed. “Davorian, get us through the Looking Glass.”
“Yes, sir.”
Commander Korbin turned to him, her blue eyes wide and glassy. “What about Earth?”
Alexander shook his head. “Our orders are clear, Commander. We are to get to Wonderland and assess the planet for habitability.”
“You have a wife on Earth, Captain. I have
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